7 Best Reef Salt – Mix for LPS, SPS Corals Reef Tank (2019)

An important part of maintaining your reef tank is the addition of reef salt.

The reef salt is used to introduce vital compounds the corals need to grow and become strong and hearty.

There are a number of different types of salt sold for use in reef tanks, so it is important to pick the best for your tank.

With many options available, it is common for tank owners to get confused, especially with all of them claiming to be the best at what they do.

To help you make up your mind, we have reviewed some of the best reef salt types and put them together in this guide to get you started.

The 7 Best Salt for Coral Reef Tank

Picture	Reef Salt	Size	Link
	Instant Ocean Sea Salt for Marine Aquariums	10, 25, 50, 160, 200-Gallon
	Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt for Reef Aquariums	10, 25, 50, 160, 200-Gallon
	Brightwell Aquatics ABANMAR150 Neomarine Marine Salt	150-Gallon
	Fritz Aquatics 80280 Reef Pro Mix Complete Marine Salt	50-Gallon
	Tropic Marin ATM10581 Pro Reef-Bucket for Aquarium	200-Gallon
	Red Sea Fish Pharm ARE11230 Coral Pro Marine Salt	175-Gallon
	Omega Sea Premium Reef Salt	60-Gallon

Best Reef Salt Reviews

1. Instant Ocean Sea Salt for Marine Aquariums

It does not matter what size of aquarium you have. The Instant Ocean Sea Salt offers one of the easiest and smartest ways to bring the ocean to your home. As such, the scientifically formulated sea salt is a carefully created product.

Instant Ocean is also one of the most preferred sea salts throughout the world. As such, hobbyists, scientific research facilities, and public aquariums have used it. This is because Instant Ocean Sea Salt has set a standard for quality, value, and consistency.

You’ll find that product dissolves quickly. Therefore, you don’t have to wait long before you add your marine life. However, you may want to aerate the water to get the right equilibrium between carbon dioxide and oxygen.

It’s possible to find multiple sizes, ranging from 10 to 200 gallons. Purchase the one that best corresponds to your aquarium size for best results.

Of course, this sea salt has all the essential elements that are needed for a healthy aquarium. Along with that, it is phosphate- and nitrate-free.

All you have to do is mix this product with ordinary tap water or purified water. It is also possible to prepare smaller quantities from the bigger boxes. Just use about ½-cup of the product with one gallon of water.

2. Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt for Reef Aquariums

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use reef salt, the Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt is an excellent choice. It has an enriched formulation for optimum effectiveness.

You’ll find that this product is specifically formulated to use in reef aquariums. As such, the Reef Crystals contain the most important ocean reef elements. However, it’s in higher concentrations than that found in seawater.

Primarily, this product works well because it has extra calcium included. You can ensure that coralline algae and stony coral grow well.

Of course, trace elements are also included. This gives more vital nutrients and vitamins to support faster growth and the survival of marine life. These include anemones, corals, and other invertebrates.

While it is recommended to use purified water, you can also use tap water. This product can neutralize any trace heavy metals. Primarily, it makes it safer for your marine wildlife.

As such, you will find a variety of sizes available. These range from 10 gallons up to 200 gallons. Those with small aquariums may want to buy a larger size so that they always have some on hand.

However, you can also purchase the size that corresponds to your tank size, as well. If this is the case, it might be best to consider auto-delivery so that you never forget to reorder.

3. Brightwell Aquatics ABANMAR150 Neomarine Marine Salt

Do you want a product that has been tested and researched thoroughly? The Brightwell Aquatics ABANMAR150 Neomarine Marine Salt is ideal for you. It’s been studied for many years to ensure that it fits in with marine biology and chemistry.

This marine salt is formulated to replicate the seawater ratios for every significant element. However, it also reproduces all trace and minor details, as well. That way, the water is ideal for your marine wildlife.

In fact, the aquarium inhabitants aren’t likely to notice any difference between the aquarium and traditional seawater. They will continue to thrive and grow without worry.

While many salts use seawater evaporite, this company does not. As such, you can be sure that the elements are provided by the actual minerals and vitamins. They are not man-made.

You’ll find that the product is manufactured in Brightwell Aquatics’ production facility. It is never outsourced to anyone else. Therefore, it maintains the strictest standards to provide higher-quality items.

Every batch is sampled for quality assurance. You will notice that each particle is similar in size to the next. This is to make sure that the product mixes easily with water to create seawater that is safe for your marine life.

4. Fritz Aquatics 80280 Reef Pro Mix Complete Marine Salt

Whether you’ve got fish or reefs, you’ll find that the Fritz Aquatics 80280 Reef Pro Mix Complete Marine Salt is ideal. It’s manufactured using the highest-quality raw materials. You’ll find that this product is ammonia, phosphate, and nitrate free.

As such, the product was formulated by marine scientists and researchers. That way, you can rest easy knowing that it contains the necessary minor and major elements that are found in natural seawater. These are used by reef and marine animals.

This marine salt features the right pH and a buffering capacity. That means that the trace elements and essential minerals have been added using the proper ratios. You can be sure that the mixture is correctly blended for the longevity and health of your marine wildlife.

Along with such, the product reaches the right pH levels quickly. This means that you can mix it up and add your marine life very soon after. Primarily, it saves you time and prevents the risk of your reefs/animals dying.

While most people focus on products that are designed for their needs, it’s also important to consider who else might use it. Fritz’s Marine Salt is used by many professionals. These include public aquariums, research institutions, zoos, and adventure parks.

5. Tropic Marin ATM10581 Pro Reef-Bucket for Aquarium

It’s essential to use the right sea salt for your marine aquarium. As such, the Tropic Marin ATM10581 Pro Reef-Bucket is an excellent product. This pharmaceutical-grade sea salt is designed especially for modern reef needs.

You’ll find that this sea salt meets the unique needs of reef aquariums. It provides optimized concentrations of magnesium and calcium. These two elements help to promote coral growth with time.

Of course, it’s easy to achieve a lower buffering and the right pH values. These things help to stabilize natural water values. Primarily, it focuses on the hardness of the carbonates, as well as the calcium reactors.

Most people don’t realize that you can’t have a stable and natural condition for your delicate marine life without it. You must balance all of the influencing factors, and this product can help you do this.

The Tropic Marin Pro-Reef Sea Salt is an ideal foundation for the growth and care of your marine life. This includes corals, fish, and other invertebrates that might be seen in modern reef aquariums.

It is possible to use this product to start your new aquarium and to create equilibrium for your current one. Along with such, you can use this seat salt for regular water changes to your seawater aquarium.

6. Red Sea Fish Pharm ARE11230 Coral Pro Marine Salt

Anyone with a marine saltwater aquarium needs to have the right salt for it. The Red Sea Fish Pharm ARE11230 Coral Pro Marine Salt is an ideal mixture for all reef aquariums. It is designed to encourage an accelerated and healthy growth for enhanced vitality of your corals.

A coral must continuously grow its skeleton. It does this by absorbing all of the major, trace, and minor elements from the water that surrounds them. Therefore, if you want it to thrive, you must provide these things to it.

This product has been tested thoroughly. During the research phase, it was shown that the ratio between magnesium, carbonates, and calcium are paramount for corals. Without it, corals aren’t going to efficiently take the elements from the water to grow.

It’s important to have marine salt that can provide the basis for accelerated growth. The Red Sea Fish Pharm Coral Pro Marine Salt is designed for all LPS and SPS corals. As such, it is highly recommended to grow your SPS coral frags.

You need this marine salt because the aquarium only has a limited amount of resources. These are quickly depleted by its inhabitants. Therefore, if you want to keep coral growing, you need to maintain higher-than-usual levels of the water’s foundation elements.

7. Omega Sea Premium Reef Salt

The Omega Sea Premium Reef Salt has been scientifically researched and formulated. Therefore, it can address all the needs of your marine life.

This includes corals, invertebrates, and fish. It’s a revolutionary mixture that is made with the best raw materials and little water.

Primarily, it is designed to stay dry before you use it and dissolve faster in water. With that, it can also produce about 20 percent more seawater than other salt products. You will also find that this product does not contain phosphates, nitrates, and other chemicals.

This Premium Reef Salt from Omega Sea includes all of the major elements. It also has all of the 70 trace elements. Plus, these are all in the exact proportions that are found in tropical seawater.

It contains a unique buffering system to ensure that the pH level is correct. Of course, the product has been adapted to ensure that natural water can be stabilized and turned into seawater.

You’ll find that this reef salt contains higher levels of magnesium and calcium. The product also contains enhanced alkalinity and doesn’t add extra bromide. This ensures that you have an ideal environment for all reef inhabitants.

Of course, it’s important that the marine wildlife in your aquarium can grow and develop as needed. The product comes in a 60-gallon bag that is tear-proof and resealable.

Reef Salt vs Marine Salt

When these two are compared, the reef salt is seen to have more elevated levels of calcium, iodide, and magnesium concentrations than the marine salt.

There are still some similarities, such as both types of salt will test negative for nitrates, as the nitrate levels are negligible.

What is the Best Reef Salt to Use?

If you are new to buying reef salt for your aquarium, then you should opt for the Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt.

This salt comes from a top brand that makes the top rated reef salt for use in an aquarium. The salt is further made to feature more of important compounds such as calcium that promote the growth of both large and small corals. You will always get the best coralline algae development when using this product.

The manufacturer also included trace elements that will ensure vigorous growth of the corals. With the metal detoxifiers also used in this salt, you can be sure that the heavy metals found in the domestic water supply will be easily removed.

What is the Best Reef Salt Mix?

The question of which is the best reef salt mix is a common one in many forums.

Many people are happy to give their opinion on what makes the reef salt mix, but what is important is that you understand the building blocks of the best mix.

The first thing to keep in mind when choosing a reef salt mix will be differences between different brands. All the brands will have a label that shows what to expect from their sea salt.

The composition of the salt will also be shown on the label. The composition can vary widely from brand to brand, but some have common ingredients too. The varying composition of the salt mix will create the differences between one brand and another.

If you want to end up with the perfect mix, there are a few things that you have to consider when making your decision. The common parameters to compare between brands include the amount of calcium, magnesium, and the alkalinity.

The calcium compound is the most important component in the reef salt. Corals and other types of invertebrates need it for building their skeletons. The concentration recommended for good results is 400ppm. The PPM means part per million.

Magnesium is another important mineral to have in the reef water. It is often seen to be the most abundant trace mineral found in saltwater. Magnesium will work together with the calcium to help balance the alkalinity of the aquarium water. The recommended concentration is 1250 ppm.

The alkalinity is going to affect the pH level of the reef tank. With the addition of the salt, you can expect that the water will become more alkaline. You have to consider the alkalinity to make sure you understand the level of bicarbonates in the water. You might have to adjust the alkalinity where possible. The alkalinity of the saltwater aquarium is recommended to be at 8 – 11 dkh.

Now, back to the question. From the details above, you want to have calcium in the range of 400 ppm, magnesium 1250 to 1400 ppm, and alkalinity kept between 8 to 11 for the salt mix.

How Much Reef Salt Per Litre?

This is going to vary from one brand to another, but in most cases, it will be 35g per liter of RO water. You can always check the label for the recommendations from the manufacturer.

How to Mix Reef Salt?

The first thing you will have to do is get yourself the best sea salt for your aquarium. You can easily buy this from a store near you that sells aquarium-related stuff. Most of the time, you are going to get the dry synthetic reef salt so that you can mix it with water.

Next is to gather all the necessary supplies for the work. You will need water for your mixing, and the best choice is to use deionized water for this process. You can only use tap water if the quality of the water is excellent.

You can purchase deionized water from a store close to you. Additional supplies for the process include a clean bucket, submersible heater, stirring tool, hydrometer, and a floating thermometer.

Fill the container with deionized water and add salt in the right amount as directed by the manufacturer. Each manufacturer offers information on how much water should be used to dissolve a certain amount of salt. Let the mixed saltwater settle overnight before you can add it to your aquarium.

Conclusion

Keeping the reef aquarium within the conditions helps a lot when it comes to making sure that you have the best corals in your tank. Now that you know more about the best reef aquarium salt, go ahead and choose one for your aquarium.

Make sure that you understand the composition of each type of salt before buying. Having the right type of composition helps a lot with choosing the best salt for your marine aquarium.

Within a few weeks of using the right reef salt, you should be in a position to see some differences. The differences mean that your corals look even lively and better.